


Rewrite The Stars For You

by mihrsuri



Series: The Tudor Triad [1]
Category: The Tudors (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Bisexuality, Ficlet, Happy Ending, Miscarriage, Multi, OT3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-02-17 01:10:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13066005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mihrsuri/pseuds/mihrsuri
Summary: In another world, this is how it might have gone between the three of them.





	1. Dark Haired Loves

**Author's Note:**

> So this OT3 ATE MY SOUL because of course it did and I had to write at least a little piece of it - there's more on my tumblr. Title from a song from The Greatest Show.

It might have begun like this. In a world a small step from ours Thomas Cromwell stops for a moment, having given Anne Boleyn a dangerous book and she in turn does not simply thank him but has the chance to ask a question. To ask his opinion of the book. He will reply and she will smile for having someone take her questions seriously and she will ask if he will not return to discuss the book with her. 

(In this world Anne Boleyn is still going to be the second wife of Henry the Eighth but she returned from France to a king who had fought for his annulment with a different woman by his side - upon the birth of Henry Fitzroy Henry had had all the proof he felt he needed - he had gained (eventually) the annulment but the boy had died young and Henry had quietly married off the boys mother - Anne is welcomed by the people, the court and Henry’s daughter alike). 

And so Thomas Cromwell finds himself returning to dine with the Lady Anne and they begin a dialogue about Tyndales work - far more of a dialogue than they would be given a chance to have in another world and a mutual respect is allowed to deepen into true friendship. They even start playing chess together - carefully escorted of course but no one whispers about them (Anne is known for cultivating an intellectual circle about her after all) - though they whisper about the rise of Cromwell. 

Eventually they begin to discuss charity and governance - the process of a wider reformation and Anne brings it to the attention of the King, who is well pleased and begins to join in the discussions. (To his own surprise Henry does not feel that Cromwell is intruding into his time with Anne). 

They each begin to tell stories - Thomas tells stories about his travels (the lighter stories - though he tells some of the tales of his childhood later) and Anne and Henry about their childhoods - about Henry’s mother teaching him to write, about Anne’s determination to master her handwriting early - about times with their siblings. 

But it might have begun with Thomas Cromwell realising he is in love with the swan and the lion both, one night over a late meal. He merely resolves to hide it in the depths of his heart, for what chance is there, after all. It is enough to be their friend and trusted servant. 

-

Or perhaps it might have begun with Anne Boleyn realising she is in love with Thomas Cromwell. It is after she has lost her second child (it hurts, it hurts everywhere in her bones and her soul and Henry does not come to her) and it is Thomas Cromwell who finds the right words for her. Who tells her that it does not matter the age of a child, it is still beyond pain to lose children. And so they talk to each other of the children that are no longer in this world - his two little girls and her boy who never had a chance to breathe outside her womb. And she realises, painfully that she loves him as much as she loves Henry. 

(It can never be, she decides and locks her love into her heart just as Thomas Cromwell falls more deeply in love with this woman - this bright and kind lady who shines out to the world). 

Anne lets herself be lost in being a mother to Elizabeth, in being a friend to the now restored Princess Mary, in being the best Queen she may be as Henry more and more ignores her for other women. It hurts and Anne wishes she could hide her hurt. 

-

It might have begun with Henry Tudor realising he loves his chief minister as much as he loves his wife (which it turns out is a great deal, despite what Henry may have thought he knew). It happens after a bad couple of years between them - though Anne is pregnant again Henry is entranced by another lady - he has had dalliances with others , largely to prove to himself that he is still loved, still young and golden but this lady is different. This lady he wishes he could make his Queen if Anne fails. (Despite the disapproval of court and his friends they are all obliged to be civil towards his Guinevere and Henry is sure that once they know her better they will love her). 

He realises he is in love with Thomas Cromwell when, upon telling him he intends to ask his lady for her favour in the upcoming joust Thomas Cromwell cannot hide the disapproval in his face and when Henry prompts him to “speak frankly” Cromwell tells him the blunt truth - that this joust is a ridiculous risk and he is risking his own health and the Queens both.


	2. We Are Your Legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry Tudor realises with a start that he loves his wife very much indeed & he has loved his chief minister for just as long.

_My dark haired love, I have heard tell you were sick and that other dark haired love of ours and myself miss you all the greater upon hearing this - tell me you have a physician who is good? For you should have all the best that there is in the world, my faithful duke._

( **The Love Letters Of Henry Tudor, Anne Boleyn & Thomas Cromwell.** This particular letter was written in 1540 when Cromwell had left to see to the business of his estates - Henry & Anne were clearly missing him)

 

_“My love, my faithful duke I would that you were with me but if I needs must absent myself from my two dark haired loves then at least you are together - I know you will hold the kingdom and our children safe but I will worry for you both until I may return. “_

( **The Love Letters Of Henry Tudor, Anne Boleyn & Thomas Cromwell** \- this letter was written by Henry when he had left the regency in the hands of the Queen and Cromwell in his absence shortly after the birth of their seventh and eighth child)

 

* * *

 

 

Tom is softer in sleep - still as he never is awake with his dark curls soft against Henry’s chest and one arm flung across to both Henry and Anne. Anne curls against him on her side - one hand upon the swell of her belly and the other holding Tom’s with the braid of her hair falling across her shoulder. 

It is the most perfect sight Henry has seen, the two he loves with all his heart and soul and he wonders at himself that he ever thought he could or would want to live without either of them, without this. That he ever took it for granted. But then the Lord has shown him the way “..and it is marvellous in my eyes” Henry finds himself saying softly, reverently. He cannot think this is a sin, not when such love has only bought joy and not just to them but to the kingdom though they know not why. 

He had not begun the day before in such a state of mind - in fact he had been glad that Anne would not be attending the joust out of fear that it might harm the child she was carrying because it would mean that he could pay court to his sweet Jane without fear that Anne might stick her nose into his affairs. 

Henry had had a dreamy smile upon his face at the thought of his sweet Guinevere - he would have made her his queen if only Anne was not carrying his son but he could at least wear his ladies favour and perhaps kiss her soft white hand. Perhaps Anne is popular (& in all fairness Henry thinks she is a beautiful and good Queen) but is it so wrong that Jane will have his heart - Anne just has to learn how it will be. 

-

“Your majesty if I may speak frankly, as your friend” is not the response Henry expected to asking Thomas Cromwell if he would give up his rooms to the Seymours, but then his relationship with Thomas has never been what he expected (he has not asked Charles, who may be his oldest and most loyal friend but favours Anne and Henry also has no desire for Jane to incur more of the wrath of Charles’ wife) but he gestures an assent for the other man to proceed. 

“Majesty this will do no good for the reputation of the Lady Jane, who surely does not deserve such slanderous whispers when she has only sought to be a chaste love to your majesty. Further I would, as your friend, ask you if you would not carry the favour of your wife and Queen - for is she not carrying your child and should not all care be taken for her welfare? Would it not help her to know that you still care for her?”

For a moment Henry is tempted to strike Cromwell, to berate him for his insolence in speaking to his king in such a brazen way but he finds he cannot - for after all he permitted the man to speak frankly as his true friend and adviser and punishing the man for following Henry’s command would be entirely unjust. More than that, Henry must admit that To...Cromwell is right. 

-

Henry does ask Queen Anne for her favour but he also goes to beg a scrap of ribbon from the Lady Jane so he might wear it under his armour. The delay in going to Anne’s rooms means that Henry misses his turn in the lists. He does however get there in time to see the man riding in his place fall to the ground with a sickening thud. Henry does look down to see that the ribbon that Jane had given him is sticky with blood - for a splinter from the shattered lance has ended up in his chest, for by going to find Jane to ask for her favour he has not yet put on his armour. 

It is in that moment that there is a flash of revelation. The Lord is surely sending him a message for was it not Tom’s advice and Anne’s favour that saved him. There are people swarming around him, including Doctor Linacre who moves to treat the wound but Henry barely notices. 

Henry is blinded by the weight of his own wrongs. He has neglected his true and beloved wife, his wife who is carrying their child and he has been in love with his Lord Privy Seal all these years. He loves them both and that love has saved him so it can be no sin. To not admit to it would be a worse sin, indeed. 

As soon as he can Henry sprints towards Anne’s rooms, hardly noticing the people behind him or a distraught Lady Jane. He finds Anne and Tom (his Anne, his Tom he says to himself) praying quietly together and gestures to Anne’s ladies and the servants to leave with all haste. That’s when he kisses them, apologies falling from his lips over and over again. 

* * *

 

_"Thomas, Prince of Wales & Duke of Cornwall was born in May 1536. Six other children (George Duke of York, William Duke of Somerset, Margaret (later Queen Marguerite of Denmark), Owen Duke of Kent & the twins Edmund (Duke of Somerset) and Philippa (Duchess of Lancaster)) followed - all of whom lived and thrived. Raised alongside their older sister Elizabeth who was given the title Duchess of Pembroke (after marrying Robert Dudley Elizabeth also became the Duchess of Northumberland) when Princess Mary became Duchess of Bavaria upon her marriage. The royal children were perhaps unusually close to their parents who took a hands on approach to their upbringing and were demonstrative and loving parents..." _

**(The Tudor Children: Henry, Anne, Thomas & Their Family, N.Holland)**

 

_"It has now been confirmed for certain that several of Anne Boleyn & Henry VIII's children were fathered by Thomas Cromwell and that the three of them considered themselves a true family and a true and loving triad. This concrete evidence certainly explains the closeness of the Tudor Children to Thomas Cromwell and the way they clearly considered him another father as well as..."_

**(Dark Haired Loves: A Study Of A Tudor Triad)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the quote 'it is the lords doing' is taken from Elizabeth I. The title comes from the Hamilton Drop song First Burn which is what inspired the writing and finishing of this. My apologies for the Jousting Hand Waving - I hope it somewhat works! Also my AUs are always open for being written in/remixed/having fanwork of all kinds inspired by them.


	3. Historical Snippets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Extracts from books & interviews about the version of The Tudors TV Show In The Rewrite The Stars Universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm mainly doing this because this kind of alternate history and multimedia fic is my absolute jam and I wanted to put it all together rather than scattered around on my tumblr.

“Above all we wanted to make it clear that this was a real and genuine love story - I do know there was a certain amount of pushback about that from the studio but I was always firm that if there was an adaptation of my work? I wanted it to be true to the people and at the heart of their story is this love story” 

**(Dr Malia Aburbeh, author of The Tudor Triad: A New History)**

“When I read it (The Tudor Triad) I couldn’t stop thinking about the potential of the story - just the fact that Malia had written such a compelling story as well as a brilliantly researched history drew me in but then there was the absolutely stars in your eyes fairy tale romance so I had to reach out to her”

**(Jasmine Martinez - Tudors Executive Producer)**

“Seeing them (the rings that Henry Tudor had commissioned upon the birth of Prince George in 1538) was bloody amazing - I think it tells you everything about how much they meant to him. Alongside the letters because well, Henry hated writing letters and he wrote hundreds of pages to both Cromwell and Anne throughout his life” 

**(Jonathan Rhys Meyers in an interview in Entertainment Weekly)**

“All three of us, we read a lot but I know one of the things I wanted to get to grips with was - how hard was it for him (Cromwell) to be the secret relationship in the shadows - and in the end of course I had to go with an interpretation based on what was there and what Malia and Jasmine had written but for me as an actor, thinking about the character? I think he was a pragmatist - he understood absolutely that they couldn’t be open, not even an open secret - in fact he might have understood more than the King, who wanted to be more open in his devotion.” 

**(James Frain in an interview with the BBC)**

Henry Tudor was certainly possessive of his two ‘dark haired loves’ to whom he enjoyed giving gifts great and small and was also protective (post 1536 this is especially true) and not shy in showing his wrath when he felt they were threatened. 

**(From Essex: The Second King)**

 

* * *

 

“I know there was some discussion of whether their relationship would be depicted - there were definitely ideas that maybe it would be ambiguous or glossed over but I have to give so much credit to Malia for being adamant about what she wanted from an adaptation of her book - we were just following in her footsteps”

**(Natalie Dormer, in a press interview)**

 

“It’s such a pivotal part of their story and the broader history though isn’t it - this unexpected love story between three brilliant people. You can’t leave out the fact that their letters talk about discussing policy in bed, that Henry clearly adored his “two black haired loves” and they adored him back. Reading their letters and journals - it just shines through”

**(JRM, in a press interview)**

 

* * *

 

“It was important to Jon (Jonathon Rhys Meyers) & I that we included the bisexuality - it’s a crucial element of the story of the three of them. Obviously they wouldn’t have used those terms but the physical nature of their relationship is very clear - you can’t tell this story without it”

**(From a Making of The Tudors interview with James Frain)**

 

“The fact that we see the full nature of this relationship - sexually and emotionally is a credit to both the creators and the actors who fought for it - particularly Jonathon (Rhys Meyers), James (Frain) & Natalie (Dormer) who clearly became attached to the historical figures they portray. In the end what we see on screen is a true love story between three remarkable people who clearly loved each deeply”

**(The Image Of The Tudor Trio: A History Of Media Depictions Of England’s Most Famous Triad)**

 

* * *

 

“While historians have always considered the gaps in the private correspondence between the King, his Queen and their chancellor to be debatable at best, the discovery of the so called Essex Letters in the late 1990s proved that not only did they exist, these letters were carefully given into trusted private hands where they might not be found or at least were extremely unlikely to be so..” 

**(Letters of The Tudor Monarchs)**

“Their union was as much about love and friendship as it was about politics and desire - the Essex Letters would make that clear but alongside those we find tokens of affection - from rings and estates to household accounts that show the preparing of a favourite meal. This was a loving family - a loving triad. More than that it was a clearly physical relationship in every sense and in every combination within that triad…” 

**(The Lion, The Raven & The Swan: Bisexuality, Polyamory & Tudor England) **

 

* * *

 

“Cromwell's public letters and papers were left to the royal archives and library but his private correspondence was given to his son Gregory to be stored in the family library at Essex Castle where they remained until they were donated to the British Library in the 1990s after the present Duke of Essex allowed them to be released to the public. Meanwhile King Henry and Queen Anne’s private letters were held by King Thomas I and his sister the Princess Royal Elizabeth, Duchess of Pembroke & Northumberland respectively - though their public papers were left in Westminster Palace records…” 

**(Essex: The Third King)**

“These private letters were never meant to be seen - indeed we are fortunate that Victorian Historians did not destroy them for their scandalous content - instead the private letters and King Henry’s diaries have survived to illustrate a deep and abiding love between these three extraordinary people….” 

**(The Tudor Triad: A New History)**

“It seems certain now that a number of the younger Tudor children were fathered by Thomas Cromwell - though all of the children considered him as a second father and there is no difference in affection. Indeed Princess Elizabeth was particularly devoted to both her fathers….” 

**(Our Children All: A New History Of The Royal Children)**

 

* * *

 

“While the Duke of Essex was devoted to all the royal children he and the princesses were particularly close (Elizabeth & Philippa as the oldest and youngest Tudor children respectively seem to have had a particular place in his heart) - it was Essex & Queen Anne who seem to have directed their education as well as giving them an unusual degree of choice in their marriages”

“Elizabeth, the Princess Royal & Duchess of Pembroke (& upon her marriage to Robert Dudley, Northumberland) named her oldest sons Henry & Thomas & in a private letter to her brother refers to having “named them for our fathers” While past historians have cast this as a textual error recent scholarship suggests…”

**(The Tudor Triad: A New History)**

 

* * *

 

 


	4. Historical Snippets II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more snippets of interviews, book extracts and quotes from fictional documentaries set in the Rewrite The Stars Universe (I am working on another piece of the actual story but it's not long enough to be a fic or a drabble!).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new fic snippet from this AU can be found on my tumblr **[here](http://mihrsuri.tumblr.com/post/173183671508/the-next-morning-henry-awakes-first-to-the-warmth)**

 

* * *

 

“The story behind the finding of the Triad Letters & King Henry’s diary actually started with my day job. So it was the summer before I was due to start my PhD thesis - I’d decided to focus specifically on the relationship Thomas Cromwell had to the King and Queen through government papers because specific comments by or attributed to Cromwell himself are extremely sparse. It wasn’t my ideal topic - partly because there was so little material personally attributed to Cromwell but I still thought there was something to work with.  However for the past few years before I was accepted into my PhD program I’d been working as an Archivist dealing with rare books at the British Library and it was through that I was asked to do an evaluation of the private collection at Essex House.” **(Dr Malia Aburdeh in a radio interview)**

 

“Dr Aburdeh was my first choice - she really impressed me in her interview and I knew I wanted someone who was genuinely passionate about Tudor history specifically not just rare books expertise. Was I expecting her to find what she did? [laughs] No! But then our family library and archives are large enough that everything hadn’t been organised and catalogued so I think I thought ‘well perhaps something special will turn up - but no, I didn’t think it was going to be as special and incredible as it was” **(Her Grace, Katherine Cromwell, Duchess of Essex in a documentary)**

 

“Do I remember how I felt when I found it (the chest containing the letters, diary and mementos of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII & Queen Anne)? I can say that I thought I’d found something interesting - the fact that the chest had their three crests carved on it made me sit up and take notice but I certainly didn’t think it was going be so momentous! Actually, when I started to read the first letter (the famous ‘black haired loves’ love letter written by Henry VIII to Thomas Cromwell when the latter was absent attending to the business of his estate) I thought it might have been a joke!” **(Dr Malia Aburdeh, Vogue Magazine interview)**

 

“Thankfully my supervising professor was very understanding of my desire to change my thesis topic at the very last minute! She did have to make several calls to the committee and then some other calls to make sure that I could continue to research the letters and the diary. I do know the resulting thesis was probably far more interesting than my first vision - but it was also far more of a non fiction novel in structure - I think you can tell I was delighted by these three people and their love story.” **(Dr Malia Aburdeh, Behind The Tudor Triad)**

 

“By the time Henry Tudor had married Anne Boleyn his first daughter Mary was in a shaky position - though she had been allowed to remain legitimate under the good faith clause (the idea that though the marriage that produced her had been invalid her parents had both undertaken it in the belief it was a genuine marriage) her status was decidedly uncertain and she had been allowed to see her mother only rarely. Anne intervened - not merely sending money for new clothing to the young woman but persuading Henry to allow Mary to reside with her mother, as well as to come to court….” **(The First Duchess Mary: A Life)**

 

“It is often said that the papal annulment that ended her parents marriage changed the course of Mary Tudors life but less explored is it’s impact on her personal understanding of the world - a world that was upended while she was still very young. While her Catholic faith remained a strong and true part of her life we find a woman for whom the political realities of the papacy and the church was vividly apparent - after all her parents marriage had begun and ended thanks to papal interpretation.” **(Mary Tudor: A Life)**

“While by all accounts Mary adored Anne and her half siblings her relationship with Cromwell was reputedly uneasy, perhaps reflecting his more radical reformist positions….” **(The Tudor Family: A History)**

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [If You Love This Coast](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15911373) by [AllegoriesInMediasRes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllegoriesInMediasRes/pseuds/AllegoriesInMediasRes)




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